August 19, 2026

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Dear members,

When we talk about the MAAC Board of Directors, we may first think of meetings, policies, finances or regulatory decisions. Yet behind every title is, first and foremost, a MAAC member: someone who builds, repairs, flies, teaches, organizes events and shares the same passion as you. The same is true of the Deputy Zone Directors and Zone Assistants who work alongside them and help keep MAAC connected to its clubs and members.

Our current Board brings together twelve directors from every region of the country. They represent very different realities: large urban centres and remote communities, land-based and water sites, small clubs and major gatherings. Together, they bring practical knowledge of airplanes, helicopters, gliders, turbine and electric jets, drones, control line, indoor flying, competition and recreational activities.

That diversity is what gives the Board its strength. We do not always agree, and that is healthy. The quality of a board does not come from automatic unanimity; it comes from people who can compare their experiences, ask difficult questions and make decisions in the best interests of the membership as a whole.

MAAC’s national structure is built upon its Zones. Each director is first selected to represent the members of their region. They bring the concerns of their clubs to the Board, while also carrying a national responsibility toward the Association as a whole.

The current Board consists of John Horner (Zone A), Michael Dick (Zone B), Robert Davidson (Zone C), Dean Mostow (Zone D), Carl Cimprich (Zone E), W. Craig Knight (Zone F), Brent Norman (Zone G), Tim Horsfall (Zone H), Shelley Folbar (Zone K), Rudie Nagelmakers (Zone L), Peter Doupnik (Zone M) and Stéphane Giguère (Zone N).

The Executive Committee consists of President Alain Carpentier, Vice-President W. Craig Knight, Peter Doupnik, Brent Norman and John Horner. Michael Anderson serves as MAAC Secretary, while Sherry Denesha serves as Operations Manager. Their work supports the Board and helps turn its directions into concrete action.

Behind every Zone Director is a Zone team

A Zone Director carries the formal responsibility of representing the members of the Zone at the national Board table, but that work is never accomplished alone. Deputy Zone Directors and Zone Assistants provide the local presence, practical knowledge and continuity that allow each Zone to serve its members effectively.

Depending on the needs of the Zone, they may help clubs understand MAAC processes, support event and flying-site applications, communicate important information, answer members’ questions, visit clubs, assist with Zone meetings and awards, or contribute specialized knowledge in a particular flying discipline. They often become the first point of contact for a club and an important link between local concerns and the Zone Director.

Their contribution also strengthens succession within MAAC. By sharing responsibilities and learning how Zone and national processes work, deputies and assistants help preserve knowledge and prepare the next generation of volunteer leaders. The Zone Director remains accountable for the decisions and representation of the Zone, but the quality of that representation is greatly strengthened by a capable and engaged team.

These Zone teams also work with standing committees and specialized advisory groups whose members contribute extensive knowledge of safety, regulation, insurance, finance, governance, information technology, competition and flying disciplines. Together, this network combines local experience with specialized expertise in an increasingly complex environment.

The people serving our Zones

The following Deputy Zone Directors and Zone Assistants are listed on maac.ca as of August 13, 2026. Their names deserve to be recognized alongside the directors they support.

Zone	Zone Director	Deputy	Zone Assistants
A	John Horner	Ian Griffiths	Brad Cleland; Ron Hall
B	Michael Dick	Carl Layden	Sandy McInnis; Stephen Benson; Terry Bullerwell; Paul Colbourne
C	Robert Davidson		Mark Betuzzi
D	Dean Mostow	Rob Patterson	Thomas Skoropad
E	Carl Cimprich	Roy Rymer	Andrew Fakla; Adam Picard; Paul Brine; William (Bill) Teeter
F	W. Craig Knight	Emmanuel Katsiapis	Jason Thompson; Robert Zentai; Andrew Coholic; Rob Tanguay; Troy Goodberry
G	Brent Norman	John Weekes	Karl R. Kingston; Michael Anderson
H	Tim Horsfall	Steve Whiteside	Keith Bennett; Paul Dries
K	Shelley Folbar	Grant Robinson
L	Rudie Nagelmakers		M. Adam Maas
M	Peter Doupnik	Robert Bennett	Ulf Bergquist; Blair Shrubsall; Frank Klenk; William Fry
N	Stéphane Giguère	Jean Paul Le Guilcher	Richard Gareau; Eric de Tilly; Stephanie Beaulieu; Jean-Guy Ouellet; Marie-Reine Daudelin Malczewski; Denis Simard

Service beyond Zone boundaries

The contribution of these volunteers does not stop at their Zone boundaries. Many directors, deputies and assistants also serve on MAAC standing committees and advisory groups, where their practical experience supports national decisions, member services and the future of aeromodelling.

Rudie Nagelmakers chairs both the Aeromodelling Strategy Advisory Group and the Membership Advisory Group, while also serving on the Radio Spectrum Committee. Dean Mostow and Robert Davidson work with him on Aeromodelling Strategy, together with Zone E Assistant Paul Brine, helping MAAC study regulatory developments and prepare recommendations concerning our future operating environment. Robert also serves on the Awards Advisory Group and the R/C Scale Committee.

Shelley Folbar contributes to the Aeromodelling Guidance Advisory Group, which is developing a clearer and more consistent approach to mentorship and member development. Peter Doupnik contributes to the Insurance Committee and the R/C Jet Committee, Carl Cimprich serves on the Finance Advisory Group, and Craig Knight chairs the Competition and Performance Advisory Group. Brent Norman also serves on the R/C Jet Committee.

The same national involvement extends into the Zone teams. Stéphane Giguère serves on the Membership Advisory Group together with Zone N Assistants Marie-Reine Daudelin Malczewski and Stephanie Beaulieu. Mark Betuzzi, Zone C Assistant, contributes to Radio Spectrum. Zone M Assistant Blair Shrubsall serves on both R/C Scale and R/C Jet, while Zone H Assistant Paul Dries serves on R/C Jet. Deputy Zone Directors Carl Layden and Roy Rymer contribute to the Awards Advisory Group.

These are representative examples rather than a complete inventory of every assignment. They illustrate how regional leadership, technical knowledge and national service overlap throughout MAAC. The Association is strongest when experience gathered at club fields is carried into its committees and advisory groups and when the work of those groups returns to benefit clubs and members across Canada.

From an outside perspective, the first thing that stands out about MAAC’s directors is not their title. It is the variety of paths that brought them to the same table. Some began with a set of balsa sticks and a plan spread across a workbench. Others discovered radio modelling through cars, helicopters, gliders or jets. Many learned to fly long before almost-ready-to-fly models, programmable radios and electronic stabilization became commonplace.

That collective story stretches across the country. John Horner represents members in Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Michael Dick carries the voice of Atlantic Canada. In British Columbia and Yukon, Robert Davidson and Tim Horsfall deal with considerable distances, very different geographic realities and clubs that depend on attentive representation. Each comes to the Board with practical knowledge of their region, its flying sites and the people who keep them active.

In Thunder Bay, Dean Mostow knows that day-to-day reality well. At the Lakehead Aeromodellers, summer training at the field gives way to indoor flying during the winter. Since entering radio modelling in 1983, Dean has flown home-built FPV drones, gliders, delta wings, foam jets and many other aircraft. Yet his experience is measured most meaningfully through the new pilots he has guided, the first solo flights he has witnessed, and the land- and water-based events he has helped organize.

That desire to pass knowledge along is also evident in Carl Cimprich in Middle Ontario. His path runs from Cox control-line models to free-flight gliders and then radio control. A MAAC member since 1989, a mentor and an organizer, Carl is one of the founding members of the Middle Ontario Radio Control Modellers. The new club is also being developed with the goal of helping the community by raising funds for McMaster Children’s Hospital. His 50 cc Yak 54, a gift from his wife, is a reminder that our models often carry stories far greater than their technical specifications.

In Saskatchewan, Shelley Folbar’s journey reflects another part of that culture. After beginning with radio-controlled trucks, a static display inspired her to build an airplane. Her first large model took shape from plans, balsa sticks and plywood formers. Later, when one of her aircraft crashed, she took it apart, rebuilt it and returned it to the air. That patience and perseverance are not only valuable modelling skills; they are equally valuable around a governance table.

In Northern Ontario, W. Craig Knight brings more than five decades of aeromodelling experience to the Board. Born in Windsor, Ontario, Craig first became interested in model aircraft after watching a demonstration at the Comber Fair around 1970. In 1975, he purchased his first radio system from Bob’s Hobbies on Lakeshore: a five-channel Kraft radio that cost $500 a considerable investment at the time.

His career with Burroughs Business Machines took him from Windsor to Sudbury, North Bay and eventually Sault Ste. Marie. North Bay was especially significant: it was where he met his wife and became involved with both the North Bay model airplane club and the Nipissing Miniature Aircraft Club, now known as NIPMAC. Craig later joined the steel plant in Sault Ste. Marie, where he worked for 35 years before retiring from Environmental Control.

That long personal history is matched by an equally strong record of service. Craig has held many positions in his local club, served a term as Zone Director several decades ago and spent roughly a decade as Deputy Zone Director for Northern Ontario. Today, he serves as both MAAC Vice-President and Zone F Director. He still flies scale aerobatic aircraft, indoor foamies and what he jokingly calls “flippy models” which, according to Craig, he flies a little better. His experience shows that many years in the hobby need never diminish the desire to fly, experiment, learn and serve others.

In Southwestern Ontario, Peter Doupnik brings another lifetime of experience. He has built and flown models since the age of five. Passionate about turbine jets, electric jets, gliders and aerobatic aircraft, he has also organized jet gatherings at the Leamington and Chatham airports. His story reflects the same enduring curiosity and willingness to keep exploring new aspects of aeromodelling.

That same curiosity is evident in Stéphane Giguère in Quebec. A former club president, instructor, pilot and event organizer, he flies mostly helicopters while also enjoying airplanes. Even after years in the hobby, he still uses particular models to improve a specific skill, such as collective management at low rotor speed. His approach captures an important quality in a director: experience accompanied by the understanding that learning never ends.

Elsewhere in the country, directors continue to combine regional service with national responsibilities. Brent Norman supports clubs throughout the Ottawa Valley while contributing to the technology tools used by directors and advisory groups. John Horner, Peter Doupnik and Brent also strengthen the work of the Executive Committee, while directors across the country place their regional experience at the service of specialized projects and national issues.

This is not a Board formed from a single mold. It includes builders, active pilots, instructors, organizers, club leaders, competitors and people capable of leading complex technical or administrative files. Their experiences complement one another: someone familiar with the realities of a small remote club will not view an issue in exactly the same way as someone who organizes a major event, flies a turbine jet, teaches a beginner or works on a regulatory matter.

Alongside them, Secretary Michael Anderson contributes exceptional experience in governance, quality management, systems design and project management. A former MAAC President and Zone Director, former Treasurer and club leader, he also remains an active aeromodeller with a passion for large models, turbine jets, aerobatics and competitive soaring. Sherry Denesha provides the operational continuity and daily support that allow the Board to turn its decisions into concrete action.

I rediscovered aeromodelling in 2017 with Les Modélistes Anti-Gravité in Zone N. I joined the Board in March 2023 and was elected President in November 2024. My experience as a manager, entrepreneur and pilot helps me organize complex files and represent MAAC, but the role of President is not to occupy all the space.

My role is to create the conditions that allow directors to do their work: to listen to them, encourage frank discussion, bring the right expertise together, maintain constructive relationships with our partners, and ensure that the decisions we make together are carried out.

I remain, first and foremost, an aeromodeller. Like many of you, I visit flying fields to fly, learn, meet people and understand their realities. Direct contact with clubs and members is essential: it prevents us from governing only through documents and constantly reminds us why MAAC exists.

The current Board, Deputy Zone Directors and Zone Assistants are not paid association-management professionals. They are primarily volunteers who give their evenings, weekends and part of their flying season to read documents, answer members, support clubs, review flying-site and event files, attend meetings and help prepare the future of our hobby.

Their experiences are not identical, and that is precisely what MAAC needs. Some began with control line or free flight; others with RC cars, helicopters, gliders or jets. Some excel at building, while others bring strength in instruction, organization, technology, regulation or governance. Together, these complementary abilities strengthen the Board and the wider Zone leadership network that supports our members.

In the months ahead, I want to continue helping you get to know the people who serve MAAC not only the members of the Board, but also the deputies, assistants and volunteers working within our Zones. You will discover what they accomplish for the Association, what they build, what they fly and what led them to become involved.

I am proud to work with this team. It is capable, committed and deeply rooted in our community. Its members do not claim to know everything, but they possess something essential: the willingness to listen, learn and act for the benefit of Canadian aeromodelling.

Thank you to each of our directors and to the Deputy Zone Directors and Zone Assistants who stand beside them. Thank you as well to our Secretary, Operations Team, committee and advisory-group members, and all the volunteers who support this work.

And thank you, MAAC members, for placing your trust in them, sharing your ideas and participating in the life of your Zone.

Alain Carpentier

President
Model Aeronautics Association of Canada / Association d’Aéromodélisme du Canada